The Shining Prince and the Star Princess
by LadyGeekALot
Summary: Can a formerly abused and imprisoned 18 year old star-racer pilot and a Nourasian Prince really end the war by defeating the Crogs and saving Byrus and Nourasia? Rated T for language, intimate scenes and graphic violence. I DO NOT OWN OBAN STAR-RACERS!
1. The Shining Prince

**Chapter 1: Shining Prince**

**Eva Wei – May 7****th**** 2085 – 11:45 pm – Excalibur Base, Byrus**

Every Rebel Byrian, formerly imprisoned human (aside from myself), and whatever other poor aliens the Crogs had been abducted from their home worlds and dumped here on Byrus, were all asleep. It was just me and my half-redheaded self all alone sitting on the top of the metal roof gazing out at the glittering stars above. All alone now but not for long; I succumbed to a smile that not even the training bruises on my back or the scars on my body could hinder at the thought of who'd be ''joining me'' tonight.

I'd never met him but I would know him the moment I saw him by the way he described himself to me. He had crimson skin tanned by the sun of his planet. I could clearly see his blue eyes twinkling in the night. His auburn hair could only be outmatched by the golden sun. He was a great warrior, an honorable knight and kind prince and to top it off he was nineteen making him only a year older than I was.

But even with all the daydreaming there was still a great darkness within him. He was helpless as the invaders (who I took to be the Crogs) ravaged the capital city, murdered his people, and forced him and his own fellow knights to fight for the invaders and do the same horrible things they'd done to his home to do to other planets or else the invaders would wipe them out.

He knew just as well as I what it was like to take life to save others, what it was like to be kicked around in a fight and to be beaten senseless because someone above us had the power to do it and get away with it.

I saw the gashes on his back just like he saw all of mine. We were soldiers; getting nearly killed was just a part of the job description. But just because we were soldiers and were beaten on a regular basis didn't mean we didn't feel the pain; spectators like to believe we were just so strong that life-threatening injuries didn't even faze us. Well that was the reason they were spectators and we were soldiers. We did feel the pain and it hurt like hell every time. We weren't super heroes (though we could sure as hell use one) we were only normal people with normal limitations who chose to fight back. The only thing that really separated **us** from **them** was that over time we numbed the pain to save ourselves. But that numbness could only cure us for so long and we had to wake up and deal with the pain whatever way we could.

My Shining Prince and I dealt with the pain together. We eased each other's pain and we shared a genuine happiness few others knew.

_A whisper from the stars called out to me and I knew it was him._

''Shining Prince… I missed you…'' I whispered back to him, failing to hold in the giggle.

_He laughed sweetly as well and asked what was so funny._

''We have to stop meeting like this…I want to see you…I want to know you're name and for you to know mine,'' I told him.

_He sensed my hidden frustration and caressed it with the right words and a promise._

''As long as I'm waiting for you, I'll wait beyond forever.''

_That was all he needed to hear to warm his heart the only way he would ever let anyone._

My Shining Prince was far from perfect. So far that there was once a time he was sure he would kill himself because of the endless pressure he suffered on his home world. I made him swear to me that before either of us died, we would meet each other and know each other's names.

''One day soon…not even the rule of the stars will keep me from knowing your name,'' I said.

_He said one more nothing before he wished me sweet dreams and said three words that melted my heart every night he said them. _

''I love you, Shining Prince.''

The only way we could ever hurt each other was by saying good night, so we never said it and always ended with the same three words that were more than enough.

The cold wind from the night air forced me into the base and back to my cabin that I shared with a stray dog whom I had dubbed Boxer. He was brown haired, scruffy, but loyal mutt that was once the beating toy of a few young Crogs and had all the old broken bones to prove it. He was asleep. Boxer knew he could follow me anywhere but he hated the cold nights and much preferred the cozy sheets of my bed.

That night, just the same as every other night, my Shining Prince did the impossible and took my mind off of the war.


	2. The Star Princess

**Author's Note**

**Hello ****Ō****ban: Star-Racers lovers! You came to the right place if you're looking for a great story (: Just for your knowledge, I am continuing this story along with **_**OGL**_** (**_**Ō**__**ban: Guardian Legends**_**) and the game plan is to update whenever I can on weekends – but School comes first. However, I have decided for this story to be right about in the 15-20 chapters range. It may change as I haven't really even drafted this story out anywhere but in my brain (AND IT'S A JUNGLE IN THERE) so expect a change (and by change I mean expect anything – the change may be that there's no change at all) or prepare to cry your eyes out when I announce one – but don't say I didn't warn you!**

**I refuse to give any more than foreshadowing because I hate, I despise, I LOATHE people who spoil an incredible story or at least the best part of a story! If you're masters of foreshadowing, then you've probably guessed what's going to happen in the future and I've already said too much. So I beg you please do not ruin it for others! Spread the word about the story, of course, I love knowing people read my stories, but don't ruin it! **

**I will only tell you that it's an Aikka x Eva story. Sorry for those Jordan X Eva fans but I can't really feel too bad- come on; the title of the story is **_**the Shining **__**Prince**__** and the **__**Star**__** Princess**_**. But just for you guys there will be a very limited and a very restricted Jordan x Eva going on, but if you're a die-hard fan of the couple, I'm sorry but prepare for disappointment. (I'm a die-hard Aikka x Eva fan and you can't change me!)**

**Focusing on the story, in this timeline the Great Race of ****Ō****ban hasn't happened yet (***hint hint***foreshadowing***hint hint***)**

**Chapter 2: Star Princess**

**Prince Aikka – May 7****th****, 2085 – 11:45 pm – Crog Space Station probing Byrus**

I forced myself to bite my tongue until it bled as I watched the Crogs herd my people as if they were mindless beasts into their _quarters_. We were Nourasians, prideful, peaceful, and honorable. At least we used to be before the Crogs forced our hand in a mindless domination over the Byrians. Before the Crogs we were never even considered a threat. Unless you included Nourasians like me; those few born with the ability to morph into great beasts; what we called, Omerkai. But even then we only used our talent to communicate with the animals of the forests or to survive when they attacked us.

Now I felt the beast within me rage wildly as I saw the mistreatment of a young boy. He had stopped only for a moment to help an even younger girl, half his size, keep from falling and being trampled on in the huge crowd, as was our code of honor, and he was rewarded with a vicious whip to the back. I felt my fangs sharpen and become lethal and my blood already turned cold. My transformation was happening far too quickly; if I didn't control it now, I would regret it later, so I tore myself from standing at the entrance to the dungeons and soon enough I was inside my private cabin on the station.

The only reason I had one of my one was at General Kross' ''insistence.'' The bulky, dark, one eyed Crog General personally promised whether I chose to stay in my cabin or in the dungeons, where I wanted to be, I would be alone; even if it meant disposing of my people.

There was more than just cruelty behind this promise. He knew just as well as I did my people were alone comforted by my appearance, and that alone could be enough to make them want to fight their oppressors. He wanted to break me just as much as he wanted to break them. He believed forcing me into solitude was the answer. It was only another example of how little the Crogs really knew about our ways. I was a friend to loneliness. I had been since I was exiled from the Palace and sent into the Great Ulin Forests outside the City along with my swords master, Canaan, to train to become a Prince, a Nourasian Knight, and a man.

The scales were already beginning to show on my arm. If I didn't find a way to calm myself, I would complete the transformation and lose the prospect of surprising General Kross, right before I slit his throat. Another example of how little our oppressors knew about us. They had only heard rumors of great four-legged, scaly, carnivorous beasts wandering Nourasia, but they doubted its importance or its truth; whatever few Crogs who actually _did_ see one of us Omerkai, never lived to tell the tale. I knew this as I had previously killed a few Crogs who got too close for comfort when I was out for a morning exercise in the Forests.

The memory of their defeat made me smirk and instantly I regretted it. I felt dirty, like I was becoming one of them by taking pleasure in killing, even if it was self-defense.

I wanted to feel pure again.

I searched out the window, and I thought of her.

Since the night when she first spoke to me, she was my only comfort in my worst times.

My Star Princess, I saw her in all her beauty as I gazed at our special star; it was always the brightest one. Her ruby red eyes haunted me the moment I thought of them. On her cheeks, she sported the star of hope – she called it a symbol of hope for our secret love – on one side and a tear streak of pain on the other – the endless suffering she and I endure every day we're apart. She pierced silver shards in one of her ears and dyed the top of her naturally ebony hair the same shade of crimson as her eyes. My Star Princess was a warrior in disguise as she fought against the invaders who stole her away from her own home world and imprisoned her on a new planet they controlled (my guess was the Crogs but there were so many planets they controlled, she could be anywhere).

I had never seen her, never met her, never touched her, but her existence was one of the only things I was sure of in this world. I heard her voice just as she heard mine. I was captivated by my Star Princess, the only woman I would ever love and the only woman who had ever loved me.

Maybe I was living in a dream world.

It seemed that way whenever we spoke. If I was in one, then never let me awaken from it, nor from her.

She always knew the right thing to say and the correct solution to all of my pitiful problems.

It was amazing how much of a comfort she was to me and yet others around her had always seen her as rebellious, hot-headed, and even dangerous. They only thought of her that way because they didn't know about her past.

She was who she was because that was what others made her into.

If she didn't want to be mistreated, she had to be feared.

If she didn't want to be beaten, she had to learn to fend for herself.

If she wanted to live, she had to know how to kill.

I wondered how that was possible when all the evidence of her abuse was written in record in the scars that littered her perfect body. Someone _should_ have noticed her suffering. Someone _should_ have stopped it. That someone _should_ have been me.

I regretted every night that she told me of the sadistic beatings she endured. To know of her mistreatment, was a torture within itself. Then to realize there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop any of it was an even worse pain.

She knew this because my Star Princess knows everything, and she confessed to me how she wanted to stop telling me of the beatings. But I wanted to know. I wanted her to tell me if it would take away some of the pain and loneliness she felt, even if it did hurt me. My Star Princess was worth any blow, any pain, and any death. I convinced her to continue the stories.

When she had been taken by the invaders of her planet I feared the worst while she had never been happier. She was made a prisoner and saw hopelessness all around her, but she was grateful that she would no longer have to endure the beatings and what abuse she _did_ suffer was nothing in comparison.

Now she was a soldier fighting to free the people who had rescued her from her imprisonment. A true heroine, a true Nourasian by my standards; she led her own team of warriors as they fought for everything my people wanted to.

It was so amazing to me how we knew so much about each other and at the same time so little. I knew everything about my Star Princess except her name.

I remembered my mother's words all those years ago when I first spoke to my Star Princess.

''_There is a saying, my son, 'through your one special star you will find your soul mate ever true. But the star has one rule: their identity may not be known to you.''_

Mother was right. My Star Princess and I had tried for an entire year screaming out our names to the heavens through the star after we first met. Our efforts were all in vain. Our special star that always shown the brightest every night was our closest ally and our worst enemy as it never even once let us hear the others name. My Star Princess and I never gave up. We talked for hours on end describing how we looked, our personalities, our histories, even our planets.

In the end, we still had no idea who the other really was and obviously had never met each other.

I saw it as frustrating, where she saw hope.

Her name was a whisper on my lips as I pressed my hands against the window looking up at our special star, ''Star Princess.''

_She answered me, told me how she missed me and then, for no apparent reason, I heard a faint giggle._

She made me do the same, ''what is so amusing to you?'' I smiled.

_Her answer was simple enough. She wanted to see me just as I wanted to see her. I would never forget how she said she wanted to know my name and for me to know hers in return._

Behind those words, I knew something was wrong. She wanted us to meet more than ever and I felt guilty that I had passed on my frustration to her.

''Worry not, Star Princess. We will find each other, soon, you'll see. There is neither a living soul nor any force strong enough to keep us apart. Not even death. We will be together. You will always have me and I will always have you; I promise you. All that is required on our part is waiting, patience, and the will to never stop looking.''

_She said she would always wait for me._

''That's all I need to hear…No one will ever mean as much to me as you do.''

There was a virgin truth behind my words. One I swore only she would ever know. I could care less if the entire universe saw me as a monster. Being able to change into an Omerkai, I was one after all. But my Star Princess was the only one who saw through that. She saw me, throughout all my mistakes, my short-comings, my temper, my flaws. She saw me as the person I was and who I wanted to be; the man who I believed had passed long ago; another victim of the Crog invasion.

My Star Princess was the only one who kept faith that he was still alive; that the beast, Omerkai, had not yet conquered me. She even made me believe it as well.

I saw through her inner monster as well.

She was not a monster. The thought of it was a lie.

My Star Princess: A monster?

Never and I believed it with all my body and soul.

''They're wrong about us, my love. We aren't monsters; not really. Perhaps we are the pure ones,'' I told her. ''I love you.''

_She said three little words that meant worlds to me._

The only way we could ever hurt each other was by saying good night, so we never said it and always ended with the same three words that were more than enough.

I prepared myself for sleep and undressed out of my armor into simple loose fitting pants that reached my ankles.

That night, the same as every other night, my Star Princess did the impossible and took my mind off of the war.


	3. Fight in the Forest

**Chapter 3: Fight in the Forest**

**Eva Wei - May 8****th****, 2085 - 10:45 am - Somewhere in Sector 35, Byrus**

Eva replayed Rush's promise over again in her head again in yet another feeble attempt to drown out the noise behind her.

Cameron was using his whiny voice, '_**'WHY CAN'T I HAVE MY OWN LASER GUN?**_''

Cameron was down to begging and making big goofy smiles_** ''PLEEEEEEEASE EVA!''**_

Eva thankfully didn't see any of it since she was walking a few feet ahead of him; yet another feeble attempt to drown out the noise.

''_**COME ON EVA! IT'S NOT FAIR EVERYBODY ELSE HAS ONE! EVEN YOU DO! BUT YOU NEVER USE IT! ''**_

Was he really whining at her?

Pff…She learned her lesson to not _EVER _let that child anywhere near a gun after the last time '_he was only looking at Eva's gun,'_ that she had, against her better judgment, left lying on her bed while she went out one day. That accident ended with Eva in the infirmary. She would have been a goner if it hadn't been for that Nourasian medicine.

Those Nourasians were the worst ones to pick a fight with being that they could use all kinds of magic and even telepathy that had driven a few Rebels incurably insane. At the back of her mind Eva almost felt sorry for them. She knew the whole deal about the royal family and the capital being held hostage. Everyone knew; but it was hard to feel sorry for them when they were shooting blue glowing fireball arrows at them or tried to slice them in half with two feet long swords during battle.

Still, Eva always avoided killing them if she could. Disabling them was always the first option as Eva reasoned that if they had the guts to go battle then it would be a waste to just-

''_**LET ME HAVE YOUR GUN! YOU ONLY PLAY WITH THOSE KNIVES ANYWAY! PLEASE EVA!''**_ Cameron was still at it.

How did she herself get into this mess?

Rush said, no, he **promised** it was going to be a simple scout mission. Not even requiring weapons or armor or even her star-racer, but she still carried her dual daggers, aka her favorite weapons of choice, on her hips. But she took a chance by wearing her regular clothes consisting of a thin gray long sleeve shirt and black army pants ripped at the left knee she had swiped during a recon. Her dark grey and black boots were of her own making with retractable knives at the sole of each foot were definitely a safety precaution she always had with her; better to be safe than sorry.

This mission was supposed to be calming, even therapeutic after Eva had been sent non-stop into intense battles frequently over the two last months. Rush was one of the nicest of the Byrian Rebels and after his late-wife practically adopted Eva, he began to do the same in her absence. Eva knew he was just looking out for her, trying to take care of her; he said she just needed to take it easy, though it was the last thing she wanted.

It was an easy walk through the bright green jungles of Sector 35, one of the last beautiful places on Byrus thanks to the Crogs polluting, out just to check up on their Crog neighbors to be sure they weren't changing in routine before the Rebels initiated their top secret attack plan.

It was supposed to be anyways…

Cameron was trying to have his way by being a pest, as usual. For such a small ten year old, Cameron had a big mouth and was learning more and more every day how to use it since he had been liberated from a Crog Prison almost a year ago along with Eva herself, and his older brother, Jordan.

Who so happened to be with them; he was supposed to be helping but like always Jordan did exactly the opposite and felt he just _had_ to take his cue to mock the young boy's distress, _**'' BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE THIS TALL TO RIDE!**_'' Jordan gave a goofy smile and purposely stopped and held up one of his hands a foot above Cameron's wild brown hair just to arouse the boy's anger of his short size and evoke his little brother's wrath.

One would think being a twenty year old man with military honors, twice the age of his little brother, he would have _some_maturity.

Even though Eva was walking ahead of them, with her music player blaring in her ears, she still heard the bickering of the brothers and rolled her crimson eyes in self-pity.

Cameron's black eyes shifted, almost lit on fire as he harshly smacked away his older brother's arm and yelled, '_**'WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH AN ASSHOLE?**_''

''Hey! _**Watch your mouth!**_'' Jordan threw back, a little odd considering he cursed at least forty times a day.

Eva should know; she counted every day he did.

Cameron smirked as he merrily skipped away just to stop in his brother's way.

''Don't you dare, you little shit!'' Jordan warned him.

'_Number 47: little shit and it's only 10 am in the morning. New record,'_ Eva counted nonchalantly in her mind.

It was obvious Cameron had done it before, but that didn't prevent Jordan from being super pissed when he did.

''I'm not doing anything,'' Cameron almost sounded like he was singing. But his devilish smirk told all and he grabbed his black uniform pants.

''_**YOU BETTER NOT OR THIS TIME I'LL BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!**_'' Jordan warned him by raising his voice, taking a step forward and shaking his fist in the air. The one thing about Jordan was that he always kept his promises. It was great when you needed him to have your back, but really bad for you when he promised to beat you up; just like how he was doing it to Cameron right now.

'_Number 48: crap.'_

Cameron looked back at Jordan with one of his famous big-headed smirks that his brother and everyone else who knew him had seen whenever he was about to do something horrible.

He shoved the back of his pants down showing his bare butt mooning his brother, '_**'HAHA! I BET YOU WISH YOU WERE LOOKING AT EVA'S ASS RIGHT NOW!'' **_As if it wasn't bad enough he exposed himself to his brother, he started slapping it and moaning loudly. He made a high-pitched impersonation of a girl while also adding a kissy face, '_**'**__Ooh Jordie! Hit me harder! Ooh Jordan I love you so much, Jordie Ooh! More Jordie! I want more!_''

At that moment, something completely snapped inside Jordan the moment Eva was mentioned. His brat brother knew he had a crush on the team captain, Eva Wei, since the very first day he saw her after she was liberated from the same Crog Prison he was. Cameron, of course, had to make it publically known to the entire Rebel Base.

Jordan practically roared with disgust and then yelled at his brother with an intense hatred in every word, ''_**THAT**__**-**__**IS-**__**IT**__**!**_''

Cameron knew what was going to happen now. He screamed as he ran from Jordan charging his way through and chasing after the now crying little boy.

The boy suddenly stopped as and decided to fight back by pulling up his pants and jumping on his brother's back, putting Jordan in a chokehold and by biting his brother's ear.

He called it the Monkey Move. Jordan screamed wildly as his brother drew blood.

All this noise was going to attract the wrong attention… and cripple Eva's sanity.

Eva had decided enough was enough and turned around and kicked Jordan full force in the chest; to hell with her anger management problems. They caused it, now they suffered.

The blow sent Jordan harshly to the ground and Cameron taking the worst of it beneath his huge brother's ripped muscular body.

Both began to moan and groan in pain.

Jordan panted trying to catch his breath, ''Eva…_what the hell?_'' he clutched his aching abdomen and rolled in the dirt continuing to cough.

'_Number 49: hell,'_ Eva kept counting as she glared down at the man with her hands on her hips and fingers clutching the handles of her daggers.

''_**OW**_…'' Cameron's face was now covered in dirt and his cheek was bruised and he cried as he did his best to stay still as held his shoulder ''Err…You just broke my arm...''

Now Eva felt a twinge of guilt and she sighed.

Cameron was a real pain in the ass but like it or not he was still a kid; an evil annoying bratty little kid; but a kid.

He didn't deserve to get the brunt of the blow, or at least Eva just didn't want to be responsible for giving it to him.

The redhead closely knelt down to the young boy and examined the wound by aggressively grabbing his arm and completely ignoring Cameron's pathetic sobbing.

''You little punk! It's just a scratch,'' she scolded him for worrying her and then harshly hit him in the back of his head and just hard enough so he would wake up with a bruise tomorrow morning. ''Be a man!''

''Aw come on Eva, it hurts!'' Cameron begged as she stood up to leave the two; with enough luck a big hungry predator would come along and have its way with them.

''It's not even bleeding! This is why you can't have a gun!'' Eva yelled back as she was about to disappear in the jungle until she heard noises coming from the direction they were headed and sharply turned her head, crimson eyes scanning for the tiniest change in the forest.

Cameron stopped, sobbing sensing the danger and grabbed for his handmade slingshot while his brother stood over him and took out his laser cannon from side pack. Both were ready for the worst.

At least when push came to shove, the Dodo Duet could be ready to battle.

All of Eva's senses rose for the possible fight.

Her acute pierced ears heard the sound of talking; three Crogs…2 adults … a small Crog…yes, a very small Crog…possibly…

They were moving too close too fast.

Eva didn't hesitate to swiftly and silently retreat and pushed the boys into bushes only a foot away.

Using the bushes as their hiding place, with her hands she motioned for them to crouch down to the ground and peek through the leaves.

Jordan, having six years of battle experience with the Coalition Cadets prior to his prison time knew exactly what the hand signals meant and obeyed like a soldier.

Cameron, who'd never even seen battle, shook his head at his lack of understanding and Eva had to push him face down in the dirt fearing he'd blow their cover.

Once he saw Jordan and Eva peeking through the bushes, he mimicked them perfectly.

Examining the situation, Eva saw that her ears had been right.

Two large menacing looking Crogs were pushing a younger looking Crog into the spot Eva had just been standing.

The big Crogs were nearly twice Eva's size and both of them sported broken ears, probably ripped off in battle; it was the ultimate way to really piss off a Crog. Their yellow eyes were little more than lines as they laughed heinously. This was how they frightened their prey. Neither of the Crogs was wearing their proper armor but dark red pants of some sort with their broad black chests exposed.

Only a few times when the Crogs were completely at ease in the bases did they ever wear these particular outfits.

The younger Crog was-

'_No he couldn't be…_'

Eva wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own two crimson eyes.

The younger Crog was crying…Actually crying.

Eva never even believed it was possible for any Crog to cry. At least she told herself that; it made them that much easier to kill.

One of the big Crogs with hardly any ears at all aggressive yelled at the younger Crog, probably only a year or three older than Cameron, in their savage native tongue.

''_What are they saying?''_ Jordan's whisper was barely audible. He was right to ask Eva. She had been in more Crogs prisons than anyone and picked up the language for survival. And even more Rick Thunderbolt, who had been in Crog prisons longer than any human at Base, spoke the difficult language and all its dialects just as fluent as any Crog had taught Eva.

''_I'm a little rusty with this dialect_,'' she explained but she still gave it a whirl. '_'That big Crog is making fun of the smaller one; calling him a Nourasian Pet. He said, he's a failure as a Crog and it would be honorable for him to kill himself rather than to further shame the glory of the Crogs.''_

Eva continued listening as the younger Crog, who now that Eva really looked at him was badly beaten and dirty, finally began to speak. The Crog trembled as he spoke, as if he was gaining strength and growing angry; Eva gave him a smirk of approval before she translated, _''the little one's got guts. He just told them they're too dense to understand how things should be. That what they're doing is wrong. They have the gall to call the Nourasians the lapdogs when all they do is kiss up to the General. ''_

''_He actually said that-''_ Cameron was cut off.

''_No way,''_ Jordan growled. _''Eva you must have translated that wrong. All Crogs are the same damn bastards.'' _He had his own personal vendetta against the Crogs for making him watch as they executed his family when he was a child. His problem was that he let the past affect his judgment; which was why he was only second in command of the team.

Suddenly, the other larger Crog gave the small one a harsh punch that sent him crashing down to the dirt face down. His body pulsed from the pain and from the sound of the stomach-churning crunch, he had broken something but he didn't scream in agony not even only allowing himself to clutch his arm bent badly out of shape. His yellow eyes showed the pain and he grit through it.

Eva remembered that pain.

She followed her instinct by clutching one of her daggers but the moment she raised herself a strong arm forced her back down before she was seen.

Jordan gave her a furious glare as he clung to her arm with Cameron watching on silent and wide-eyed.

''_You're not gonna risk our necks for any Crog_,'' he spat out a whisper. She swiped her arm away and her hand instinctively grabbed his throat and clutched it before Jordan even had time to blink. The one thing Eva hated most was for someone to dare as to touch her. Throughout her entire childhood after her mother's death, she had been endlessly beaten with scars littered all over her body as proof which was the reason she always wore clothing that hid her body and completely avoided situations where she couldn't wear them.

She remembered the beatings and unknowingly squeezed harder on Jordan's throat as he felt her hand go clammy but her grip was the same.

Eva was just a child then. And all the pain was in the past. Now it would take hell to freeze over before anyone tried to lay a hand on her without expecting a black eye and broken bones.

Cameron began to fear for his brother's life as Jordan began to sweat as his cheeks turned pink; he gently nudged Eva.

Not expecting the gesture she turned her head sharply to glare down at him with her face in a fierce snarl. But the big black eyes of the young boy, the fear, Eva knew it from the way she felt as a child. Instantly, her fury disappeared and her grip was gone. Jordan took his chance and pried Eva's hand free of his neck and breathed as much as he could as quietly as he could.

Before he had time to question Eva's actions, all their attentions were grabbed by a new arrival into the situation.

They and the trio of Crogs all stared and focused their attention on a lone stranger entered from the Forests.

Eva examined the possible new enemy; his face and his entire body save for his bare red tanned feet were hidden behind a dark black cloak. The only bit of clothing he seemed to be wearing that Eva could tell were all black shaggy pants that were ripped into shreds at the bottom towards his ankles.

One of the larger Crogs yelled at him and advanced a step forward and showed his saber as the yellow energy blade glowed and buzzed as if begging to spill blood.

''_What is he thinking?''_ Cameron asked before Jordan hurriedly shushed him.

For a minute or so they all just watched as the cloaked man stood quietly, taking in the situation.

Suddenly his body began to tremble and shake violently. The limbs and shape of his body were still hidden beneath his cloak but the form of him was unnatural and changing. The occasional glimpses of his skin showed that it was becoming scaly and a dark shade of crimson.

Then it happened…


	4. Glimpse of the Past,Shadow of the Future

**The Shining Prince and the Star Princess**

**Chapter 4: Glimpse of the Past, Shadows of the Future**

**Eva Wei - May 8****th****, 2085 - 11:25 am – Somewhere in Sector 35, Byrus**

Aikka put all his emotions, all his energy, all of his focus into his transformation. His fangs were now dagger sharp and leaked saliva with his scales rising all over from his tanned body became just as sharp and turned deep blood red. He could feel his entire body changing, growing larger, and becoming stronger as his heart beat harder and harder. His hands and feet became paws and penetrated the ground beneath him getting a feel of it. Aikka's blue eyes shifted into a haunting icy color that displayed his fury.

Finally, he was ready.

Aikka's roar was so fierce and strong it caused an incredible shockwave knocking both of the big adult Crogs off of their feet and forced Eva and the boys to shield their ears with their hands. It was only the smaller beaten Crog who seemed untouched and unafraid as he looked up with wide yellow eyes of wonder at the beast before him.

Eva, Jordan, and Cameron still hiding in silence behind the bushes looked on at the unbelievable scene. She scanned the monster's menacing appearance following her warrior instinct. There was no possible way that they could defeat him and the Crogs stood even less of a chance. They would have to keep their hiding spot for now and only abandon it to run before they were discovered when the time was right. But somewhere deep at the back of Eva's mind she wondered to herself why would she want to defeat the creature anyway? He was just doing what she was about to except for him it would be even easier. And it was stranger still for Eva to admit to her own self that there was something oddly familiar about the beast. Something in his behavior that Eva had known; she could only be certain that it was something she knew but everything else was a blur. There was no way she had ever seen any creature like him before but she felt like she had in some way as if the two of them shared the strangest connection.

Finally the young Crog found the strength to stand up clutching his broken arm and limped to the monster that remained motionless but kept his icy gaze on the Crog as he approached. The impossible happened, for the first time in her life Eva couldn't read his face. All those years of learning and perfecting the skill that kept her alive seemed to fade out of existence now. At that moment she was only aware of the creature and nothing else.

No one made as a sound as the creature stared into the eyes of the young Crog. The two were face-to-face and like Eva, were aware of nothing else. The entire world around them had disappeared. Eva let go of her breath finally as the beast allowed the young Crog to limp behind him using him as a shield against his tormentors. Then the creature gave his young friend one glance back before setting his sights on the other Crogs and stomping a few earthshaking steps toward the Crogs as he snarled ferociously and protectively blocked the young Crog from view of his oppressors.

Aikka had already made up his mind. He was too far gone to even consider mercy. These monsters had plagued him all his life and they would pay for what they did to his friend and even more his people.

Both Crogs reluctantly flashed their sabers knowing they wouldn't stand a chance but still followed the last animalistic instinct of self-preservation and together they charged at the beast.

Aikka snarled even more as he flashed his teeth still leaking his saliva in the young Omerkai's own thirst for the blood of these malicious Crogs. He made an incredible jump toward them with fangs and claws bared.

The beast harshly pounced on the Crog who had punched down the smaller one and the both of them practically flew over the trio of hiding humans still using the bush as shelter and fell against the hard unforgiving forest floor. A struggle between the monsters began with every spectator already knowing the end victor.

The other bigger Crog followed after them and soon the two Crogs and the beast were locked in combat with the beast obviously winning as he had just savagely ripped the head off of one of the Crogs. His black body spurted blood and pulsed violently before finally giving in to gravity. His fangs and face were now stained with his victim's red liquid and he looked toward the only remaining Crog –his new prey.

Meanwhile, the unknown spectators watched on as the last Crog put up the fight of his life by trying to scare the beast back. But under that animal appearance was a cunning combatant who knew better and he swiped at the Crog once with his sharp claws knocking him down to the ground with blood spurting from his new gaping wound on his side. The violence of the fight sent a chill down Eva's back that succeeded in awaking her from her dreamy gaze. Now was the time to escape and she harshly shoved Jordan and Cameron out of the bushes to the dirt ground. The trio jumped up to their feet and fled from the scene.

Running was the only thing they knew. The world was gone. They only felt their feet continually contacting with the ground and the sweat that dripped down their foreheads. All of them too afraid to look back as their hearts were replaced with harsh beating drums.

Even tired and thoroughly exhausted Eva was still about her wits. Using the trail was a dead giveaway and if the creature was right behind them they wouldn't be able to outrun it. The best way was to use the trees as cover playing on the advantage that the beast was too large to navigate through the thick foliage of the forest. Her mind kept working as she kept running as fast. She began to fall behind Jordan and Cameron who on any other day, she could run circles around but the creature and the hooded man kept coming to mind. The whole situation didn't make any sense. Crogs that cried were best friends with werewolves?

She still had trouble believing it and it slowed her down even more.

It didn't matter; they were almost at the Base when Eva did the last thing any other warrior would have done in her position.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look back at the direction she had just run from. Was it really right for her to just run? Should she try to follow the beast?

But what then? Would it try to kill her? He could easily do it. He was about the same size as one of those full grown mounts the Nourasians used as star-racers but twice as vicious. Would the young Crog even survive?

''_EVA COME ON!_'' Jordan yelled.

She shook her head trying to shake her head free of the thoughts at the same time and with a final leap over a fallen log she caught up with the boys who were huffing and puffing trying to catch their breath exhausted from the run as they leaned against a huge boulder.

Jordan removed his red bandanna and squished it with his bulky hands trying to squeeze out the sweat. He finally caught his breath enough to speak and he panted, '_'what… the hell …was that?_''

Cameron was scared silent as he let his body against a boulder behind him and his newly shaking legs were soon to follow as he sank into the dirt and tried to comb out the sweat from his hair with his hands while he panted.

''Tell me we did not just see th-that,'' Jordan looked to Eva with his hands on his knees as his body continued to deny him a single easy breath either from the exhaust of the run or his own fear.

'' We can't tell anybody. They'll think we're crazy. Hell_, I think we're crazy!_ '' His voice trembled and became higher pitched than usual due to his distress. It wasn't helping that Eva kept her eyes focused on the direction they had come from and refused to answer him.

Jordan outraged ''_**that shit's not supposed to happen!**_''

Eva turned towards him sharply enough do that her long hair whipped the wind, annoyed at his weakness,'' _**Quit whining! **_We have to tell Rush what we saw,'' she said in her confident demanding tone ignoring the fact that beneath it all she was still afraid. But it wasn't in her nature to let her feelings control her.

Jordan wasn't the type to give up on any argument easily, ''_TELL THEM WHAT? _We just saw a werewolf in the middle of the day protect a cry-baby Crog against two other Crogs trying to kill him; who the hell is going to believe that?''

Eva walked up to him and she glared him in the eye, ''it doesn't matter what it sounds like. We saw it and it happened! We tell Rush; end of story.'' She walked past both of them heading back to Base.

Cameron watched her as she went and finally realizing she was leaving them he got up and ran after her.

Jordan followed clumsily, almost tripping in the process, compelled by the fact that he didn't want to be alone in the Forests after what he had just witnessed.

Eva walked up unafraid to the huge metal doors, glaring them down as if they were the beast itself. She then followed the entrance procedure of pressing in the entrance password into the 14 letter keyboard on the wall left of the doors, then removed her ID army-tag necklace and placed the small oval shaped silver tag against the scanner. The final test was to look inside the oval shaped eye scanner that popped out from its hidden hole.

The old Zargonon metal doors slid open to allow them entrance into Lexer Base.

Lexer was far from beauty. Save the outside defense walls, the entire Base was made from melted down metal scraps found on battlefields, old battleships, and whatever other pieces they could manage to find in the world outside. Though they had a decent supply of Zargonon Metal, the strongest metal in the galaxy and the reason the Crogs wanted Byrus so badly, they had to save it all for battle in the use of weapons and ship repairs. The Byrians had it pretty hard. Lights above flickered on and off at their limited energy supply. A few of them were dead and there was always one light that continued to spurt out occasional sparks that usually went unnoticed because they were too high to cause injury. But the Byrians were a strong resilient people. The Base was proof enough as even with their limited resources the dome-shaped Base was built 749 feet from its deep underground foundation to the top of the roof and another 522 feet in diameter. As for the lights, though they were poor in quality they were set to light for another century before they had to be replaced.

It was this unyielding attitude that made Eva certain the Byrians would eventually win the war against the Crogs; that one day they would free their precious planet and once the Crogs were gone they could start rebuilding their planet and their lives. They would wipe away all the damages the Crogs had done to them and free all of their imprisoned brethren. One day soon, for now it was just a dream that everyone prayed for. But that shared dream kept everyone going.

Byrian men, women and children intermingled with a few other aliens of different races trafficked through the building each of them with their own set course. One of them stopped as they saw the human trio.

It was a young teenage girl with her green dyed ponytail hair that perfectly matched her eyes. A few strands of her hair escaped her red bandanna that she always wore as a sentiment to her now deceased parents. Audrey's*** voice was friendly and optimistic as always, ''hey guys!'' She walked up to them wearing the standard uniform, navigating her way through the crowd to meet up with the trio and then follow them up the long metal stairs high above the traffic.

She always hugged Jordan first, ''I thought you guys weren't supposed to be back for another few hours.'' Cameron was second and she saved her best friend for last.

''Yeah, we were,'' Eva smiled trying to pretend she meant it.

Audrey's smile was too innocent to ignore,'' so what happened?'' she asked as they turned down through the not-so-congested hallways.

''Well…'' Eva turned her gaze downward as she thought of all the reasons she should and shouldn't tell her the truth. She made up her mind she was going to tell Rush and though Audrey would be the perfect practice she was still reluctant to tell her best friend. ''We kind of ran into trouble-''

Jordan interrupted from behind, ''you wouldn't believe us if we told you, Audrey.''

The girl smiled brighter clearly enthusiastic, ''Now I have to know! What happened?''

Cameron spoke nonchalantly with his hands on his head just as Eva opened her mouth to answer, ''we had to hide from these two big Crogs trying to kill this smaller crying one but he was saved by a werewolf.''

Audrey's face formed a scowl and she smacked him harshly. Cameron was like a magnet for beatings but still always whined.

The young gunner girl glared at the young boy who only rubbed his head at the attack, ''quit lying, Cameron.''

''It's the truth,'' Eva admitted without any emotion tied to her voice.

Audrey only giggled making Eva blush out of embarrassment. ''Oh I get it! You guys are hilarious!''

''It's no joke, Audrey.'' Jordan's voice was completely serious signaling to Audrey that he was being honest.

Audrey's smile and her laugh faded immediately, ''what the hell are you talking about?'' now her voice conveyed the same distress as Jordan's had right before they entered the Base.

Eva tried to explain but she was interrupted again. This time it was by Rush's voice on the intercom.

''**Reminder to all soldiers, prep for tomorrow's attack. All soldiers will be required to report to the Inner Stadium tomorrow morning.''**

The group stopped only for a moment to take in the situation before Eva took a step to her left and pressed the key for the elevator that led down the private quarters of the Base.

Audrey was still hysterical, ''what do you mean you saw a werewolf?''

Eva didn't bother to look her friend in the eye. ''Just drop it for now and we'll tell you more later, Audrey.''

The elevator doors opened revealing the last person Eva needed to see that day.

Her crimson eyes burned fiery at the Byrian teen before her. He looked like many Byrians his age burly and bulky with grey skin and white furry hairs on his arms, exposed chest and his head and face. His deep black eyes showed the true darkness of his heart that only made Eva that much angrier and made her feel that much more threatened.

''What's up Redhead?'' the young Byrian mocked her with a devious smirk.

''Go to hell, Baros***,'' Eva gave a low growl as she glared at the Byrian testing her patience.

Baros was the only Byrian who sincerely gave her a hard time. The truth was no secret.

When Eva first came to Lexer she was taken in by the kindest woman she had ever met, Rush's wife, Grace. Eva could still clearly see her in her mind. Grace was heavily built and loomed over Eva. Like most Byrians, she had beautiful pale white skin complemented by her long locks of shining orange hair she wore down her back in a braid; her eyes were beautiful lavender. Grace was a second mother to Eva, already accustomed to caring for other's children as she was the one to usually look after the orphans in Lexer, though having none of her own. She was the support Eva needed after both her imprisonment and her beatings at the boarding school before she was captured during Earth's invasion. Grace was the one who helped Eva back on her feet, trained her and virtually made her the woman she was today. But all of that was wiped out a month ago after Grace was killed in an air battle.

Eva caught the whole thing on the camera on her star-racer. It was one of the fiercest battles they had ever endured as they protected their discovered water resource tanks hidden in the deserts of Kax only a few miles off Lexer Base from a Crog invasion. They were outnumbered ten to one but in some strange miracle they managed to win, but there were always casualties. Grace was one of them.

Her on board camera clearly showed that she wasn't a victim of a Crog cruiser or even a Nourasian; Baros' father, Draal had shot her down while aiming for a beetle mount who managed to slip away to avoid the attack.

Instead of admitting his error, which even though had led to Grace's demise, he lied and spread rumors that Eva had shot her down instead. Soon enough, all of Lexer Base was split into a near civil war with half siding with Eva and half siding with Draal. Rush was determined not to let the death of Grace, who so supported peace in the base, break up the Rebels and after inspecting the video and showing it to the entirety of the Base it was unanimously decided Eva was innocent and Draal was to be exiled from the Base and his followers and their families along with him.

Baros was the only one of them who had stayed. He talked Rush into believing he was nothing like his father, or so he thought. Rush still carried guilt over Draal's expulsion from the Base and in an empty attempt to make up for it, he had allowed Baros to stay knowing fully well he was serving as a spy for his father.

''The hell do you want?'' Eva's husky voice surprised everyone around her and her own ears. But she didn't care anymore. All she wanted was to release her anger out on the traitor.

He grinned back at her, ''no fair, Redhead,'' then shrugged as he smirked sarcastically, ''I haven't even done anything to you… yet.''

He seemed to brush off her coldness which only pissed her off further. Baros showed his true colors as he glared back at Eva as if she were nothing more than dirt beneath him and said in low growl, ''every bitch has to learn her place. I guess I'm going to be the one to teach you, yours. You more than deserve it for your lies.'' He took a step closer, almost whispering with a cold smile, '' I'm sure you know about our Byrian tradition of dealing with women like yourselves. What was that old saying?'' he pretended to think about it, not fooling anyone and snapped his two of his fingers when it came to him, '' I remember,_' a girl's womanhood is her greatest punishment,' _''

Eva felt sweat drip down her neck. Baros was telling the truth; the Byrians, though a kind people at heart, had many traditions that could convince otherwise. This one in particular concerned woman who were uncontrollable and did not live up to their place had to be punished. If she had dared so much as to shame someone, a male even worse, the Byrian man had every right to teach her, her place one way or another.

There was no way Eva would just take this all without a fight; it wasn't in her nature. She opened her mouth with a comeback but before she could get out the words, the muscular figure of Jordan stepped between her and the Byrian.

''Aw yeah?'' he mocked grinning; almost laughing at Baros though Eva could tell from the sweat on his dark brow that he was terrified of the Byrian_**. ''Bring it! I can take care of you myself!''**_ he balled his fists and shook one of them in front of Baros' face as he tried to snarl but couldn't quite.

Baros only threw his head back and laughed hysterically, ''yeah right, I'm in trouble now!'' He looked back at Eva with a chuckle but his dark eyes were completely serious as he used Jordan's heroism to further humiliate her, '' ya gotta hide behind Jordan, huh, Redhead?''

Eva now took less than a second to harshly brush Jordan aside and step close enough to Baros to get into his face and then further pulled him closer but grabbing his wooden medallion as if she were his master . She snarled, _**''I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me!''**_ even though she was glaring at Baros, Jordan shrunk back an inch knowing her anger and the comment was also directed at him for his interference. _**''You want to get your ass handed to you? Fine! Just try me and we'll see who the real bitch is!'' **_Eva pushed him away and back to his friends behind him.

Baros shrugged his shoulders brushing it off again as he grinned, ''whatever, Redhead.'' He and his taller, more brutish looking friends followed him out through the corridor Eva and the others had just come from.

Eva never took her eyes off of him for a second, even after he was gone from sight.

Jordan interrupted her yet again trying to apologize in a quiet voice,'' Eva, I-''

At the one moment it took every ounce of Eva's self-control to keep her from punching him in the face. Her fists trembled begging for the chance to let her anger loose.

She didn't think about what she was going to say or what she was saying and her anger consumed her and poured out of her like burning lava as her crimson eyes turned fiery and she growled with a great hatred in each word, '' _**I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me**_.'' She looked at him, there was shock written all over his face. Did he really not get how stupid that was of him? '_**'You made me look weak!**_''

Above all things, that was what Eva hated most. Above Crogs, above losing her friends, even above losing her family, she hated looking weak. She had been weak for so long, to actually look like it was an invitation to a beating; one that she could easily avoid by simply being strong. But Jordan had just taken that away from her.

''_**Now I look like an easy target! So thank you!**_'' she added sarcastically she said ignoring the gaping look she got from Jordan, Audrey and Cameron.

When her temper had cooled now her stupid brain plagued her with guilt at what she'd just done and Eva let her red dyed bangs shadow her face and folded her arms together as the others continued to stare.

Audrey was the first to speak up, ''Eva…we only-''

''Forget it,'' she said in a cold whisper. There was no emotion in Eva's voice as if she was putting on a mask that hid her from them all. She turned her back to their faces, unable to take much more of their innocent hurt she had just caused.

She thought to herself as she stared at nothing in the hallways, _'I guess this makes, me no better than the beast. 'Guess that's our special connection; we're both monsters.'_

Cameron, Audrey, and Jordan all stared at their team captain as she left trying to figure out what they were supposed to do to console her, even if they should console her.

Eva finally thought it best to offer them some sort of make-up for her behavior knowing there was no good enough reason for her to treat her own friends so cruelly. She feigned a small smile as she turned her face enough so she could make eye contact with them without turning her body from facing the hallways, ''sorry… I'll see you guys tomorrow bright and early, okay?''

She walked off as silent as a ghost as her mind worked on loudly.

Audrey, Cameron, and Jordan were all too innocent. Before they had been captured from Earth they had easy average lives living with their average families in an average town. Before their capture they never had to fear for their lives. They didn't know the true definition of fear when they were so young. But every day of Eva's childhood before she was captured she had to fight back if she wanted to live to see another day. Just to survive she had to fight the world.

Where was the justice?

Probably dead right along with her mother, she thought.

But nonetheless she could still fight for it.

''Eva!'' the merry high pitched voice of a young child brought Eva back to reality. Running down the hallway at full speed toward her was the light of her day.

Now Eva could truly smile as she realized who the child was. ''Hey, Sonny***.''

The little Crog and human hybrid hopped into Eva's wide open arms and squealed as Eva lifted her up and spun her around. Then she cuddled Sonny close in her arms letting the small child's pudgy purple arms wrap around Eva's neck and squeeze as hard as she could. Eva held her tight as if just this moment could wipe away all of her fears and frustration and all the darkness. She was all that Eva needed to brighten her day no matter what happened. That was the reason for her name, Sonny.

'' I missed you, big sister!'' Sonny gave a big cheery smile displaying her teeth, two of which were missing after she had an incident with the stairs.

''And I missed you even more, little sis!'' Eva smiled and played with the five year-old's short shaggy black hair kept in two high pigtails. ''You've been good haven't you?''

''For the most part,'' an old woman approached the two from the hallway. It was an elderly Byrian woman wearing patchwork clothes of a simple blouse and long skirt with her white silk hair kept in a long ponytail that ran down her back. Her warm smile was a greeting.

''Hi Hana***,'' Eva replied to her while the woman hugged both her and Sonny still cradled in Eva's arms. ''I'm sorry if Sonny caused you any trouble.''

Hana was just as much a mother to Sonny as Grace was to Eva; always caring for the two girls giving them extra clothing and blankets and other necessities. Following Grace's death Hana stepped up even more by assuming the responsibility of Sonny's babysitter while her beloved 'big sister' was out fighting battles.

''Oh nonsense Sonny is always lively. She even makes me feel thirty years younger,'' Hana gave her report on the child's behavior, ''she couldn't stop talking about her big sister. Then she heard the announcement and she ran off to find you.''

There was a special meaning behind Sonny's nickname. Even though Eva had already gave her the tragic talk on what became of Sonny's birth family the girl still thought of Eva as her big sister making their bond that much stronger.

Hana gave a face that reminded Eva that she had other priorities.

Eva gave Sonny a bright smile and cuddled her face close to hers fighting back the tears that wanted to come. Even her voice was a sad whisper, ''…Sonny…you know that big sister has to go….''

Sonny held Eva even tighter, ''I don't want you to go,'' but Eva smiled as the little warrior in her wouldn't let her cry but her voice still trembled. Eva wiped away the sparkling drops of tears that had formed on Sonny's golden eyes.

''It won't be for too long. After I'm done kicking some bad guy butt you and me can hang out as long as you want, cutie.''

''Do you promise?'' Sonny's voice reminded Eva of herself when she was her age. How long ago? It was in another lifetime when she had her own family. When the world actually seemed like the perfect place. It was the last time she ever with her mother, just an hour before she died. Eva repeated history as she lift up her hand and said, ''I promise.'' Sonny repeated it along with her as she placed her hand in that of her big sister who in turn held it close and kissed Sonny on her forehead.

Late that night, Eva had been training in the gym long after her fellow Byrians had left to spend the rest of their free time with their families. She was always the last to leave since her training clothes consisted of a short t-shirt that exposed half of her scarred torso and her arms that were only adorned with her black fingerless gloves that had metal attached to the knuckles.

How many hours of running laps had she put in?

Had it been two?

How long had she been balancing on the beam and weightlifting?

Maybe three hours?

Four?

Here was where she could be truly free to unleash all of her anger by physically pushing herself. She was too busy exhausting all of the equipment to care about how much time she put in. To her the hours didn't matter, it was all about what she got out of it, and how any move she tried, learned, and perfected tonight would help her survive tomorrow.

She stretched her sweaty exposed and scarred arms high above her head deciding that she had had enough of weight lifting and the now broken weights had obviously had enough of her. Her crimson eyes turned to the pebble and meat filled punching bag hanging on an iron chain.

Eva crouched down in a running position with her hands to the floor and her focus on the bag. She imagined the icy blue eyes of the beast staring back at her; challenging her.

''I fight my own battles,'' she snarled to herself then took off toward the bag running even faster than she had that morning that she ran out of fear. Now she ran out of fury, blind anger….and…

Her left fist clenched tightly as she neared her target preparing to give it a merciless punch.

And…

Her arm flexed back ready to spring forward again only when it was at the perfect timing as she would send her fist flying.

And…

His voice was in her head, _''passion, my love''_ and suddenly she saw his face phantom across the punching bag.

Eva came to a screeching halt. Not an inch of her body moved other than her chest as it panted harshly from Eva's workout. Sweat dripped down her forehead slipping down missing her wide crimson eyes. Her fist was less than inch away from the bag.

She collapsed to the wood floor below cradling her trembling guilty hands as if they had just committed murder. Eva looked up to the bag realizing she wasn't completely wrong. The punching bag was illuminated by the light of the stars outside from the window up on the wall behind Eva; the brightest of all of them in particular.

Eva turned to look at the window behind her as the light from the special star poured in and she stood in it allowing it make a gentle halo around her. The light itself was like the answer to a forgotten prayer. It was warm and comforting almost as if it were her Shining Prince himself. She dazed his strong arms around her protecting her from all darkness including that in her own self.

''…_Star Princess…'' he called out for her. _

Eva removed her bloodied gloves and placed them in her back pocket before she went to the elevator that directly up to the highest floor on the Base and from there she could reach the rooftop and her Shining Prince.

**Prince Aikka – May 8****th****, 2085 – 11:59 pm – Etna Lake Base Sector 29, Byrus**

In the privacy of his animal hide tent, Aikka sighed as he gave in to gravity and let his body fall down to his bed. His half naked overheated body cooled down at the cold touch of the sheets.

The day's events of moving the entire Nourasian knights out of the space station and down to another Crog encampment down on the planet Byrus had thoroughly worn out the young man. It was easier said than done. The worst part of the job was watching the separation of the Knights and their families that they were forced to leave behind on the station to the mercy of the malicious Crog guards known for their brutality. Aikka even once found a group of them trying to force themselves on a young maid he recognized as one who used to be one of his chambermaids in the Palace on Nourasia. In the end he left none of the savages standing but saving the young maid did nothing to help her own humiliation or stop her from taking her own life in order to rinse clean the honor of her family. It was an unnecessary sacrifice and one the monsters had caused. Even more recently their ruthlessness was directed at Tyrannus this morning, the only Crog the Prince would ever call brother.

The young Crog was nothing like the rest of his brutish kind. He was young and curious always wanting to learn more on nearly everything. Though it took a very long time for Aikka to finally learn to trust him ''Tye'', as he preferred to be called, showed that his loyalty lied with the Prince and the people of Nourasia. Aikka took it upon himself to teach Tye the ways of a Nourasian Knight and soon enough he was practically adopted by the other Knights and the imprisoned people as he in turn risked his life to sneak in supplies.

Saving him from those bastard Crogs this morning was a special treat to Aikka himself but there was a part of that rescue that seemed to stay with him. He felt an unexplainable presence near him that that morning and as the rest of the day progressed he felt that the presence became only closer, stronger.

Continuous questions of whom and why plagued him that entire day distracting him from his meditation even his training.

Aikka opened his royal blue eyes to see the night sky from out of the cut open flap of his tent that served as a sort of window and he gazed upon his special star, the brightest of all.

_She called out to him, ''Shining Prince.''_

''_Beautiful Star Princess…'' he answered her soft voice. Even separated by an unknown distance he could still sense the frustration in her voice that mocked the same he had felt all day._

''_You felt it too, my Prince?'' she asked him._

''_Yes'' he thought hard looking for the words to describe the indescribable, ''I felt a presence this morning…I've never felt anything close to this before…''_

''_As did I, my love,'' she replied trying to hide her deep sense of worry. ''Could it have been a sign that we will meet each other soon?''_

''_I can only hope for that to pass…I could have sworn that I felt …'' he hesitated as the fullness of the realization hit him, '' that I felt __**you**__…Until then we must continue to wait…''_

''_I can wait for you forever…'' she promised him with all her heart. ''You, my Shining Prince, are the only man I'll ever love.''_

''_We will find each other long before that time my dear…You, my Star Princess, are the only woman who I will ever have me, body and soul,'' he promised her in turn._

And so ended the light of his day, when he truly felt alive in the world. His Star Princess was the last woman and the only woman who forever haunted his thoughts. Aikka climbed deep into the soft sheets of his cot. He that he needed all of his strength tonight to survive the battle tomorrow.

**Author's note: Special thanks to the awesome Marine Panda who was generous enough to provide the name Etna for the Crog Base/ Prison! 1,000,000,000 thanks from LGALot to you for that! (:**


End file.
